Roots and Wings: Importance of Peripheral View

I am an advocate of intentional planning to be sure, but certain excellent experiences lurked in my periphery. I heard this idea put into words recently.

Don’t get too far ahead of yourself, you won’t see the shiny thing out of the corner of your eye. ~ Tim Minchen

A few such times come to mind in my life. One was modeling with my mare, Roses Casino, for Lakota Trailers billboard and (2008,2009) product catalog, going turtle feeling(don’t ask), and making a Christmas CD as the lead singer. These were never life long goals of mine. I wonder if that is why the Lord often shows us the next step and not the whole journey? To be certain, I had already developed basic skills allowing me to be ready for these events. With a bit of coaching, I enjoyed them to them to the fullest!!

Justified and the making of a Christmas CD

Deciding on the songs

All three of us, Sheila, my Mom and myself, spend many hours deciding on songs for the CD.  One of us would suggest and if it did not pass for the other two or if it was going to take too much time to learn we scratched it! If my memory serves me correct, the list was never finalized until the recording began.  I think we had 12 songs picked out and ended up with 10.

Practice, Practice, Practice! 

We would get together for a few hours and practice 1 or 2 times a week.  My Mother often made a 3 hour round trip for our practice.  To save on gas and time she would spend the night at Sheila’s house or mine.  I look back on that time with warm feelings of the fun we all had.

 

In the Studio…

Laying the basic track with basic vocal.  I sang lead vocal while the basic instruments were recorded, guitar, drums, bass, and some keyboard.  My vocals were later scraped, or dubbed over for my actual vocals on the CD.

Adding the vocals to the basic track.  I did most of the lead. On some songs, we featured my Mom’s wonderful soprano, and Sheila’s beautiful voice.  I learned harmony lines in parts of Silent Night, Down From His Glory, and O Holy Night.  I think Sheila and my Mom probably reached deep for the patience to teach me those lines.   Remember I had spent the last 30 years focused on horses, not music.  I did learn.  Between their coaching and taking fiddle lessons, I am beginning to develop my ear.

Instrument fills when recording songs allow for ones artistic side to fully express itself.  My Mom and Sheila were not newbies in the studio like me.  They had a definite ideas about what they wanted where.  By the time we were done with the CD I had even voiced a few thoughts as to what I was hearing as well.  How fun to find a new way to express my artistic side.

Sheila worked in the studio we recorded in. She led us as the project manager and edited the CD with input from my Mother.  The mixing and producing credits appear on the CD.

Ordering CD’s

We opted to order the CDs from a company in Texas.  An early winter storm brought shipping to a stand still.  A consequent delay of 3 to 4 weeks left less than 2 weeks until Christmas when we finally received our CD’s to sell.  We did eventually have them. I recall my excitement!

Summery

This particular project signifies my musical roots. I did not dream of being a lead singer on a CD as a child.  While I have always loved music I did not believe it to even be up for consideration until the year it happened. My mother, on the other hand, had been offered a place in the Nashville scene with her sisters as a late teen. (They declined.) I grew up in the shadow of regret for her dream that got away. The time spent while working on this project with my mother allowed me to connect with her and see her musical gift brought into fruition once again. For me, I woke up to a part of me that never had enough of my attention.

Would you like to hear a song from the CD?

Do you have a copy of Justified – Once in A Manger?  Would you like one?  To order send an email by filling out this form.  

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Shiny Spots in my Peripheral View

I have to ask, what is lurking in my periphery now? What is lurking in yours?

Roots and Wings: Music

Beginnings

I believe my love of music began before birth in part passed on genetically.  I traveled in utero when my mom sang in prisons with the Gospel Echos.  As a baby I continued to spent time on the bus rides.  I grew up in a church that sang four part acepella.  As I grew I sang in our junior choir.  Although I did not see it as such at the time, I was given the opportunity to take piano lessons.  I remember sitting at the piano and looking out the window to see my pony.  I could hardly concentrate on what was in front of me.  On that pony, I felt free and could get away from everyone.  Aside from occasionally picking up a guitar, which was my instrument of choice at that time, my focus stayed with the horses.

With eight siblings, behaving like they were the main characters of Saturday Night Live, my mother’s family sang songs of old in beautiful sibling harmonies.  At times accompanied by a guitar,  they would all join in or pair off for special songs.  There were the duets by Mel and Christ, the brothers. Christ and Leah brought the Swiss songs complete with yodeling.  ( I have heard a great rendition by their grandson and his wife in recent years).  Last but not least, was The Hoosieretts, the 3 youngest sisters, one of which was my mom.

The Hoosieretts

My father sang in a gospel quartet for a couple of years.  Attending practice, performances, and studio recording sessions with him as a part of The Good Shepherds Quartet  gave me a look at what happens behind the scenes.

Experience

In high school as part of the FFA, I paired up with a friend and we sang in a few competitions.  The biggest scariest audience was in a small auditorium(not the main one) at the state level.  Being front and center felt nerve-racking to me.

Most of my singing after high school happened in church services and on the back of a horse as I conditioned or trained for whatever event I was aiming toward.  I often entertained myself singing as I cleaned stalls or any other outdoor activity.  I remember making up part of a song as I exercised a specific Thoroughbred race horse, Running from Rosie.

When the occasion presented itself, I would gather with friends and we would have our own jam sessions.  We all moved on in life after a season. At summer gatherings a cousin who lived several hours away decided to put a second harmony to my Moms with me singing lead.   A fun way to spend a few hours together once or twice a year.

Learning of local gospel jam sessions open to the public, my mom and I began attending.  Here, we met Sheila and the three of us began singing together.  She knew more local events to attend.  Through her we practiced and made plans to sing as a part of the Bremen Holy Walk.  For what ever reason, our Christmas songs came together best.  Naturally, when we decided to make a CD Christmas music became the focal point.  As we prepared for recording, I developed the desire to learn to play a fiddle.

Narrowing down 10 songs we were the best at and all agreed on, we entered the studio and the process began.  The time spent creating all aspects of the CD was an education in itself, for me.  I loved every part of it!

Beats that Matter… of music and heart!